The heart and soul of the Festival is The Elora Singers, one of Canada’s finest professional choirs, also led by Vuorinen. The Singers normally perform no less than 15 concerts during the Festival, both on their own and in collaboration with other choirs and artists of different genres. During a normal concert season The Elora Singers present interesting and diverse programs not only in Elora, but also in other cities. They also regularly commission new works and record new CDs.
Mark Vuorinen is a scholar of Baltic choral music, who has been studying the Baltic choral sound, Baltic composers and choral traditions for over 20 years. His doctoral dissertation was dedicated to the music of Arvo Pärt. Mark has organized tours to the Baltic States for choristers from his Kitchener choirs – the Grand Philharmonic and the University of Waterloo choral program, including attending the Estonian and Latvian Song Festivals in recent years.
In March 2020, concert halls and choral activity was silenced by the pandemic around the world. Since then, we have learned so much about how to produce online concerts, improving on and learning new methods, perfecting the creative quality with every new program.
This summer, despite the ongoing pandemic restrictions, we have managed to assemble a wonderful group of world-class international choirs and chamber musicians for the 2021 Elora Festival Online from August 5 – 28, 2021. The Elora Singers will perform four unique and gorgeous programs which were recorded recently in Hamilton, Toronto and Kitchener, observing all public health and safety protocols.
In addition to our own concerts, there will be five more concerts with internationally-recognized artists. Canadian baritone Russell Braun will present a recital with pianist Carolyn Maule and the tenors and basses of The Elora Singers. Cellist Katie Schlaijker of the Penderecki String Quartet will join The Elora Singers in “Reflection”, the first concert of the Festival. The Rolston String Quartet and Friends will perform “Music of Vienna” as part of an exchange with the Festival of the Sound. We are thrilled to also be presenting the British vocal ensemble VOCES8, the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers from the US, and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, under the artistic direction of Tõnu Kaljuste.
The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir will perform a program dedicated to composer Veljo Tormis, featuring his “Kalendar Songs”, folk song arrangements about important celebrations in Estonian (and Latvian) culture. Before this concert, Mark Vuorinen will chat with Tõnu Kaljuste about Estonian choral traditions, Veljo Tormis and what life has been like for the choir during the pandemic. There will be similar chats with all of our guest artists before their concerts as well. The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir concert is sponsored by the Northern Birch Credit Union, for which we are most grateful!
For full details about the 2021 Elora Festival Online, please visit our website at www.elorafestival.ca, where you may also purchase tickets! All concerts will be available to view from the date of their premiere, as many times as you wish from anywhere you have access to the internet until September 6. Ticket prices vary and we ask you to consider how many people will be watching the concerts together on one device when choosing your ticket price.
We hope that by Christmas, we will be able to perform for live audiences in concert halls and share the gift of music with all of you once again. We have been missing this experience over the last 18 months! Our artists and arts organizations have had a particularly difficult time during the pandemic, and we are most grateful for any support for either the Elora Festival or The Elora Singers. Donations may be made through CanadaHelps.org and are most greatly appreciated. For more information, contact me at laura.adlers@elorasingers.ca
We hope you can join us at the 2021 Elora Festival Online from August 5 – 28. Enjoy the concerts!
Laura Adlers
Executive Director
The Elora Singers and Festival
